Just in time for summer, Memphis-based
Terminix is debuting a more effective and environmentally safe mosquito solution as part of a nationwide rollout through June.
"Our mosquito solutions are a big part of our new business here in Memphis," says Branch Manager Preston Warford. "Of all the customers we started with new services in May, 13 percent have been solely for mosquitoes."
The new
Attractive Sugar Bait (ATSB) mosquito service contains sugar from fruit extracts and microencapsulated garlic oil, making it safe to use around people, pets and food. Male and female mosquitoes require regular feeding on plant sugars for survival; the sugar in the solution acts as a bait, and the microencapsulated garlic acts as a gut toxin.
During the peak mosquito months of May through October in Memphis, Terminix goes from having no demand for mosquito control to getting several leads per day.
"We are still in the early stages of ATSB, but we are already getting reports of high success. Most customers are experiencing around 90 percent reduction in mosquito populations," Warford says. "Due to our issues with high humidity and water from the Mississippi River, Memphis has a high mosquito population. This new product has already had a big impact in our business and the satisfaction of our customers."
The company's previous forms of mosquito control were designed as contact kills, which only killed or deterred the mosquitoes that were in the air at the time of application.
Warford points out that other mosquito elimination methods, such as truck foggers, use contact products, meaning that as soon the fog dissipates and/or settles, the chance of mosquitoes in the immediate area being killed are drastically lessened.
"We treat up to 15 percent of the area around the home with a volume of approximately 35 ounces," Warford says. "Mosquitoes ingest the bait and within three to five days are gone. This bait actually targets where mosquitoes rest, where they live and where they eat."
By Michael Waddell
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